Gaywired article with Kevin

Interview: Kevin ZegersTransAmerica’s hunky co-star talks about his rise up the Hollywood ladder12.19.05

By Ross von Metzke

Kevin Zegers has been acting since before he was in first grade, but after 15 years in the business, he’s just now coming into his own.

Case in point – TransAmerica, his new film with Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman. Sure, at its root, the story is fun, quirky road trip movie where mother bonds with son. Except, in this case, the mom used to be dad (Huffman plays Bree, a male to female pre-op transgender woman) and the son, Toby (Zegers), is a gay street hustler in New York who does coke and aspires to be in gay porn.

Pretty heavy stuff for a 21-year-old who looks like he should still be doing time on The WB. But Zegers isn’t interested in being Hollywood’s next big thing. He wants quality work, just one of a few reasons you’ll fall in love with the guy.

From gushing over working with Elton John to showering co-star Huffman with praise, Kevin Zegers is one of those faces you’ll want to watch, and wont be able to take your eyes off. Don't believe us? Here's seven reasons why.

1. Just because he’s shooting a bleak drama doesn’t mean the entire film needs to be heavy.

“We didn’t want Toby to be so damaged," says Zegers. "We wanted him to be the sort of guy you could just kick in the ass and then he’d get back up with a smile on his face, in spite of all his angst and the rotten hand of cards he’s been dealt. He still goes forward. He’s still in search of something.”

2. Unlike many young actors in Hollywood, Kevin is more concerned with quality than being a star.

“I worked a lot when I was a kid. I did 25 movies before I was 16. So, I got to a point where I said, ‘I don’t really like doing mediocre movies anymore.’ I don’t enjoy mediocre film. I don’t like watching it, hearing about it or being associated with it. I decided that if I was going to keep on doing this, I was going to attempt doing good stuff. I want the films I do to require people to form an opinion.”

3. He isn't afraid of his gay fans. Just check out his Out Magazine cover.

4. Money talks, but it isn’t everything.

“I don’t want to make it sound like I avoid mainstream films, because I think there’s a lot of good mainstream stuff. But I’ve just noticed, in general, it seems the more money they throw at you, the worse the script.”

“I knew she was going to be coming in with a very well prepared, perfect character. So I took it very seriously throughout the project that I not disappoint anyone involved. I watched the movie the other day and (Felicity) doesn’t miss a beat. She’s in the entire movie, and there’s not a second that she phones in. She’s always on.”

6. He’s bonded with the ultimate queen, Elton John, while staying at his house and filming the upcoming It’s a Boy/Girl Thing, which John is executive producing.

“It’s not a house, let’s be honest. It’s a palace. But we stay there because it’s five minutes from the set. He’s quite involved. He watches dailies. He’s on the set every day. He’s very kind to me. It’s quite comfortable there. “

7. He’s not above rubbing America’s nose in it

“I’m from Canada, both of my parents are married. I’m a pretty well adjusted kid.”

For more information on TransAmerica, visit www.transamerica-movie.com.